Long Distance Revised
by delusionment
Summary: -P4- Distance doesn’t matter to us. Even if we are separated, we’re still friends. That will never change. -oneshot; MAJOR SPOILERS-


(-- --)

AN: The story has now been revised, considering the fact that Persona 4 is finally out in America and I've played it several times. The story now includes more about the characters that I never knew before (meaning commus) because I can't read Japanese text nor understand it.

The story still contains MAJOR spoilers. Don't say I didn't warn you. Also, I have decided to keep the MC's name as Narumi Shirou (family name, first name). I know in the manga, his name is Seta Souji or something, but I rather like Narumi Shirou.

(-- --)

Long Distance

(Revised Version)

"Good morning, Shirou," my mother greeted as I entered the kitchen.

"Morning," I answered back. It was about a year and nine months since I left Inaba. To be honest, it felt weird being back in the city. There weren't any nice views of nature here – it was just mostly tall buildings that shot up to reach the sky. It felt foreign in some cases. Even the friends I have here feel kind of like strangers.

"Shirou, there is a letter here for you," my mother replied.

"Eh?"

"It's from Nanako-chan!" She chuckled. "It seemed really heavy, too. I bet she wrote a nice long letter for you. It's been almost two years since you last saw her." I looked at the counter and found the letter my mom was talking about. She wasn't kidding when she said it was heavy. It was incredibly thick and bulky.

"Go on. Take it! You'll be late for school at this rate!" My mother yelled after seeing the clock. She threw a piece of toast at me and pushed me out the door.

(-- --)

"Hey, what is this?" my friend Rui asked during lunch. He was talking about the envelope Nanako sent me. I had opened it up, and it wasn't just a letter from Nanako. It was a collaboration of letters from my uncle, Nanako, and my friends. I gazed at them. My friends had written me nice long letters, taking up several pages.

"They're letters from my friends in Inaba," I answered.

"You mean the hick town you went to last year?"

Raising an eyebrow, I coolly said, "Inaba isn't a hick town. They aren't that deep in the countryside. It's just not that noisy and a lot more peaceful than here."

Rui shuffled through my letters before inquiring, "Did you ever make a girlfriend there?" Without hesitation, I nodded. "What's her name?" I looked around for anyone who could be trying to listen before whispering the name in Rui's ear.

"What?! YOU'RE A LIAR!" He yelled.

"No, I'm not. I'm being serious." I dug out my wallet from my pocket and opened it to a picture. I shoved it in Rui's face and said, "See? We took this picture last Christmas."

"Wow…I can't believe it." He began looking through the other pictures I had in there. "What about this girl? Can you hook me up with her?" He pointed to the long-haired beauty with soft black eyes.

I laughed saying, "Even if I tried, she probably wouldn't get the idea! Besides, she's rich and her parents wouldn't want a nobody getting intimate with their daughter."

"Then what about her? The tomboy look is pretty hot." He pointed to the tomboy with light brown hair and eyes and a green and yellow jacket.

"I just hope your brave enough to get beat up a lot," I answered. Remembering someone else, I shook my head. Nah, Rui had no chance with her. Sooner or later, those two in mind would be together.

Rui asked me more about the other girls I had pictures with. Each time, I discouraged him, saying all of them were out of his league. "She's an Ice Queen. She's married; don't even think about it. She won't be interested in you; besides, she's doing volunteer work in Africa now. You can't play an instrument. You don't work with drama," I pointed out. As he looked through more, it seemed he missed one other girl, but that was acceptable. She was hiding for a reason.

"Well, if you want me, I'll be up on the roof reading these." I snatched my wallet away from Rui, and grabbed my lunch, and the letters.

(-- --)

Dear Shirou,

What's up man? I know we've been exchanging emails since you left, but sorry for not replying back for a while. I got in trouble with my mom for sending so many a day. I got my cell phone taken away for about a month! That wasn't cool. But in any case, this is a good old fashioned letter to you. Nanako-chan wanted to do something special for you for Christmas. So she came up with the idea of sending our letters to you at once.

You know, it's been pretty quiet here without you. Inaba seems to have reverted back to its boring state. But I guess if things are boring and lazy around here, then nothing is wrong, right? I really want to go on another adventure. Hold on, scratch that. We had another "adventure" during Nature School again. Can you take a guess? Yeah, that's right, braving the girls' cooking again. Can you believe it?! They tried making some soba noodles. Kanji and I almost wanted to cry when we looked at it. They put in wasabi, some ginger, flour, barbecue sauce, ketchup, milk, some bacon, seaweed, clams, and eggs…WITH THE SHELLS AND ALL!! Poor Naoto. She was so unsuspecting. She came up, asked what we were eating, and took a bite without a second thought! She was passed out cold afterwards.

And don't worry. I didn't do anything to piss of the girls when we went swimming this time. I learned my lesson last year. But guess what? I managed to get Naoto in a swimsuit! Yukiko and Chie weren't pissed at me for trying to attempt such a thing. They were WILLING to help me. Both of them and Rise forced her to change into the swimsuit. Don't worry. No one else from school was there to see. I wish you could have been there. Naoto is really cute in a swimsuit! Kuma even got pictures of her, too. I disclosed one to you so you could see. Kanji had to run off to hide his nosebleed. The girls fawned over her, making her incredibly shy so I don't think she had the chance to get revenge on me just yet.

Speaking of cooking, we really miss yours. So when we have parties, Nanako-chan has to make twice as much since the girls' has to be thrown out. Don't worry. I always have a medic standing by just in case something gets past us.

Kuma started attending Yasogami as a freshman last April. He's pretty popular with the girls. I think the sparkles around him are secretly chick magnets. Or maybe they're fireflies that give off pheromones. If that's the case, then I should try trapping them in a container and use them on me. Chie might kill me though. Every time I see Kuma at school, he's always hitting on some girl. All of us have taken it up upon ourselves to whip him when he's acting like that. Too bad we can't supervise him during classes.

Okay, I know what you're thinking. You remember what Kuma said about staying in the TV world and protecting that beautiful paradise there? Well, we all knew for certain that he wouldn't stay there forever. He goes back to watch over it on holidays and mostly after school. He even skips school to go protect it. Once in a while, we all go to the paradise to have some fun. It…really is a paradise.

And another thing about Kuma. He's become a lot more protective of Nanako-chan ever since you left. He's keeping his promise to her to always protect her. You, uh, might want to be a little wary. He might be putting the moves on Nanako. Before you know it, they'll be dating, and then married with kids… Hey, wait! How would Kuma be able to have kids?!

Oh yeah… I forgot to tell you about this before I got my phone taken away. Chie and I started going out around August. Don't ask how. Somehow it just happened. No one was really surprised when we announced it. Also, it doesn't really feel like we are going out. I mean, nothing has changed that much. We talk, we laugh, and we hang out. I scratch her DVDs, and she beats me up. I do something stupid, and she beats me up. I do something totally out of line, and she gets her sweet revenge. The only thing new between us is kisses done on the sly side, but enough of those dirty details! You don't go around telling what you and your girlfriend do!

And dude, I'm not dating Chie just to forget about Saki-senpai. I really care about Senpai, but I believe it is time to move on to a new love. You know how in movies characters suddenly see someone of the opposite sex in a new light? Well, that's how it was for me. Through all the bickering between Chie and me, she just suddenly appealed to me. It just…happened! But I guess that's how love is, right? She certainly keeps me in check though. She certainly has "tamed" me, you could say. But I'm not complaining much. I mean, I can't check out pretty girls like Yukiko and Rise anymore, but I love Chie. And now I only have eyes for her.

I should probably wrap this letter up soon. Merry Christmas, dude! Hopefully you can visit us over break! If you do, we all can go to the paradise again. The weather there mirrors the weather we have in Inaba, and it is actually snowing there right now! It'll be fun! But in any case, I'll email you later!

Sincerely, Hanamura Yousuke

(-- --)

Dear Shirou,

How have you been? Have you been readjusting to city life again? Peace has returned to Inaba, but you know what else I wish would return? You! We all really miss you, Nanako-chan and your girlfriend most of all.

I've been busy with my training to take over the ryokan. Somehow, it feels a little suffocating still. Maybe I should ask if I could take a vacation sometime. Maybe everyone else can join me in a trip to the city! That would be exciting, wouldn't it? I could cook something up for the trip and everything!

Yousuke and Kanji and Naoto are so mean! Whenever we have little parties, Chie, Rise, and me are never allowed to cook! I know that I am going to be the Lady Boss when I take over the ryokan, and I know that the Lady Boss is the one that prepares the tea and snacks for the guests, so I should get some experience in cooking, right? I've been trained to make the tea just right and not spill a single drop. The chefs are the ones that cook the snacks, not me. Since I'm the one supposed who is supposed to prepare it, shouldn't I cook it, and not the chefs? I still try my hand at cooking, but I can never finish a dish because then the chefs step in. I've been thinking of waking up in the middle of the night just to try and practice cooking. What do you think?

And since I am now on the subject of the ryokan, I went to my first omiai. My parents had selected this nice boy from the city. He's the second son of an owner of an airline company. Since there is the probability that he won't inherit the company, he'll be married to me. Well, that is if I agree to such a thing after several "dates". He's very nice and sweet… But I think he's a little too reliant on his money. I don't know him all that well still. But I'm sure he won't have to do a thing if he and I took over the ryokan. After all, it all falls to the Lady Boss.

Shirou, have you heard? Yousuke and Chie are going out now! I don't know the full details, really, and both of them aren't even disclosing anything. Rise, Naoto, and I are aware of what Chie is capable of so we didn't ask her how they got together. And Rise tried asking Kuma and Kanji to prod some details out of Yousuke, but he got pretty evasive afterwards, always running off to help work at Junes. It was pretty funny though. Kuma would follow after him, and then ask continuously.

But now thinking about it… I did notice something between them in February. Did you ever notice something peculiar then? Some time in the middle of February, I was waiting for Chie by the gate when she came out with Yousuke. They were quick to part from what I saw. Chie tried acting all cheerful in front of me, but her face was all red! And Yousuke… He got on his bike and rode past us without a word. His head was down and everything. Do you think he was rejected? Or perhaps he was just embarrassed.

Well, anyway, Merry Christmas, Shirou! Please come visit us soon! I'll promise to cook you something if you visit!

Yours truly, Amagi Yukiko

(-- --)

Yo! Senpai!

How's it going? Is city life treating you all right again? We've all been doing pretty good over here. Nothing bad has been happening Inaba. I haven't been getting in trouble either. Do you think that is a miracle? It's been peaceful, so I guess I should leave it like that and not cause any trouble.

I've been helping around the textile shop by making all of those dolls. They've been selling well. They're really popular with the middle school girls, but since I gave one to Chie and Yukiko for their birthdays, they've been promoting them to the girls at school. They are starting to get popular with them now, too. That is, after they get after their initial disgust that it was ME who made the dolls. But since you taught me not to run away and face my true self, I stuck to the fact that I was the one who made those dolls.

I've been making something for a while, too. It's a scarf. I've been making it in secret for Naoto. It took me a while, and it is almost done. I'm trying to get done by Christmas. Do you think she'll like it?

Culture festival passed by without anything bad happening. Yousuke-senpai didn't do something stupid like enter the girls into a beauty contest. I don't think I could take the humiliation of cross dressing in front of the whole school again. Dammit, that was a double edged sword. We were forced to dress up as girls… But on the other side, we got to see the girls in swimsuits. Again. Honestly, I wanted to see Naoto in a swimsuit as well, but I got to see her in one during this year's Nature School. So cute… Yousuke sure has guts. I haven't gotten the chance to thank him privately yet.

Speaking of Yousuke-senpai, he and Chie-senpai are dating now. They announced it back in August or something. Though, I do think there was something going on since February. I think it was on the 14th when I saw senpai crash his bike into a pile of garbage. I don't think he was looking at where he was going. I helped him up and get all of the garbage off of him. That's when I saw a small box of chocolates on the ground and a small piece of paper. His face turned all red and he snatched it from my hands and rode away. I only got to see the signature on the thing, and I'm sure it was Chie-senpai's.

I guess I'll turn this letter in to Nanako-chan now. Hope you have a good Christmas. Come visit us soon, senpai!

From, Tatsumi Kanji

(-- --)

Shirou!!

How have you been? Do you miss me much? Whenever we talk on the phone, I sometimes feel like it just isn't enough. I really want to see you again. Pictures don't count! What I mean is… Just once more I want to be held in your arms. I'm going to move on to another subject now. I don't want to cry all over this letter just yet!

Being an idol is hard stuff, but it still is fun! And I'm really happy that I got to see you last month when you went to my concert. Oh, I really miss you. I'm releasing a new CD for the holidays! It isn't in stores yet, but I've enclosed a copy my manager gave me. I…wrote one of the songs just for you, Shirou. I hope you'll love it. Tee hee!

I know that I've returned to show biz, but I didn't really want to give up my high school life at Yasogami so I've been returning to school when I'm no longer touring. It's really tiring since I also have to write new songs and record them so I've been going back and forth between Inaba, Tokyo, and Karuizawa. I also was cast as the heroine of a movie! So then that means I'll have to do more traveling and skip out on school. Nggh, I'm sooooooo tired. But just hearing your voice and seeing your face is enough to reenergize me. And when I think about my fans like Nanako-chan, it only compels me to do better!

From my limited times in Inaba, it's been really quiet here lately. I kind of miss running around and saving people. It was exciting in a way, despite it being incredibly dangerous. I've heard from my grandma that business has been slow and lazy at the tofu shop. It does perk up a little bit once tourist season sets in. I'm sure Yukiko could say the same thing for the ryokan. Well, I guess that's how business is, especially when you live in the rural area.

School has been the same as always. Teachers give us lectures, we take notes, and then we get tested on it afterwards. Since I'm trying to incorporate normal high school life into my life as an idol, I've been missing a lot school lately. I'm up to date with the rest of the second years, but it isn't the same when I'm doing homework when on the road and taking tests through computers. My teachers are annoyed about my absences and then sudden appearances. Especially Kashiwagi. From what Kanji and Naoto say, she's been bitching about me, my status as an idol, and my absences. Who does she think she is?! My rival or something?!

Ahem, in any case, the new thing is that Kuma is now attending Yasogami as a freshman. I kind of wish he could have been put in the same grade as Kanji, Naoto, and me. That way, we can keep an eye on him. Before his first day of school, all of us tried to "educate" him. We told him a bunch of things he should and should not do while he was in school. I think we confused him though. Kanji was saying stuff like, "Be tough! Don't take crap from anybody!" And then Yousuke said, "Try to be funny. You'll make a better impression on others. But don't be too funny!" Yukiko added after them, "Be nice and sweet!" So much of their advice must have been too much for his brain. I didn't have to worry about Kuma making people like him. After all, that's how he came to be, right? He gained human emotions so he could make people like him when he met them. He's definitely popular with the girls, but not in the way for a potential boyfriend. I think he's popular because he's one of those "he's so adorable and cute like a plushie" types. Kuma is pretty good when it comes to midterms and finals though. He scores well, but he isn't in the top ten.

Oh, and don't worry about Nanako-chan. We've been taking good care of her in your place. She was so down for a little while since you left that we tried various ways to cheer her up. She told us she loved the little magic tricks you performed so we tried to do something similar. Yousuke and Kuma put on the performance, borrowing some props from Junes. I wouldn't really call it a "magic trick", but they did manage to make Nanako laugh. They tried to do the magic box trick, but it just didn't work right. Whenever Yousuke tried to make Kuma disappear, he wouldn't! It was pretty funny. I think Kuma was under the impression that he didn't have to disappear because when he finally fell through the trap door, we all heard him yell, "Ouch! That hurt!" It was so funny, Yukiko was laughing for half an hour.

Oh guess what? I've been trying to learn how to cook whenever I'm doing tours. I mostly eat out, but it isn't really healthy, you know? And besides, I'm sick of making someone pass out when they eat my cooking! Remember when Yukiko ate my omelet? Then at Nature School, Chie, Yukiko, and I accidentally made Naoto faint! Did you hear that story? We were trying to make soba noodles and when Naoto unknowingly took a bite, she passed out! I felt so bad! She was sick the next morning and couldn't go hiking with us! I promise you, Shirou, I'm going to get better at cooking and baking!

But I'll start with baking first. I really want to be able to make a wonderful Christmas cake and share it with you. Nanako tried teaching me on how to bake something simple so we tried an apple pie. Haha, I messed it up big time. I didn't put in any funny ingredients this time, I swear! I tried following the recipe as close as possible! But when it came time for the salt, I thought that it said one TABLESPOON of salt instead of one TEASPOON. It was terrible! I felt guilty for wasting all of those ingredients. Practice makes perfect, right? I tried baking cakes on my own, and I finally made an edible one! Are you proud of me? I promise to make one for you that you can really enjoy!

You've probably heard this from everyone else, but Yousuke and Chie are dating now. I always knew they would get together. They fight like an old married couple, and it's pretty cute. They told us in August, but something was definitely going on since last March. Remember St. White's Day? When I was heading for the cafeteria to meet you there, I passed the science labs to leave the Practice Building, and I heard Yousuke yelling from inside. Of course, no one would have heard since they were all too busy going to lunch. Anyway, I went to eavesdrop at the door and heard him yell:

"Okay, this is for the chocolates you gave me last month! In this bag every DVD I ever borrowed from you and scratched! Also, in it is the biggest box of white chocolates I could get from Junes. So every piece is for an apology for all the stupid things I've done. And inside the box is my answer to your question."

I couldn't really hear anything else inside, so I doubled back around the corner and saw them come out a few minutes later with their faces all red. I dunno. I think they kissed or something. Their faces looked pretty happy in that sly kind of way. They looked at each other before turning away and walking off in separate directions. I passed Chie and saw the look on her face. She looked so happy! It was that kind of happy that makes your face glow. I should know. My face has always been like that since you hugged me for the first time.

I really want to write more, but I'll save it for when you come visit. That's right. You'll come visit soon, won't you? Merry Christmas, Shirou. I love you!

Much love, Kujikawa Rise

(-- --)

Dear Shirou,

Hey there! How's life treating you since you got back to city? Inaba's has gone all quiet again. Of course, it does get a little more hectic once schools go on trips or tourists arrive. It's nice to know that our efforts brought peace back.

This year has been pretty dull, and not because peace has returned to the city. It's because we're third years now and all we do is study and apply for colleges. It's so boring! Yukiko says I should study more to bring my grades up, but I just can't bring myself to do it! There is a new martial arts movie out, and I really want to see it, but can't because I'm stuck studying for the college entrance exams. IT'S SO BORING! I really envy Yukiko. She has the diligence and the brains to study for the exams. I know I said I want to protect everyone by becoming a police officer, but I'm not really sure where to start. I've asked your uncle on how he became a detective and he even said he'd help train me! Well, I've been going to the police station to receive this "training" on some holidays and after school, but guess what? This training is more like running errands for your uncle? What the hell?! Shirou, you ought to have a word with Dojima-san! Please!

We've been having more adventures, but less exciting ones than we used to have when you were around. Like, recently, we were all trying to figure out who sent Kanji a love letter. Yep. You're reading right, Shirou. Kanji got a love letter. Yousuke couldn't help but laugh at it. He was saying, "Why would Kanji get a love letter when most girls make fun of him in the first place?" We were all curious to see who was interested in Kanji so Naoto began leading us in an investigation. We ran around the school asking people about the note and everything.

We finally found out who sent the letter. It was this girl in Kuma's class. She was pretty cute, but the total opposite of Kanji's delinquent image. But she would have been perfect for his more sensitive side. We all tailed Kanji to the place where he was supposed to meet the girl. And guess what? The letter actually wasn't for him! She had placed the love letter in Kanji's locker by accident! Poor Kanji. We felt so bad for him that we treated him to some steak.

Oh, we've been having fun messing around with Naoto as well. Remember Nature School and how Yousuke made Yukiko and me put on those bikinis? Well, he didn't try anything funny with us this time, but he did with Naoto. He gave her a swimsuit to put on, and she flat out refused. At least, not until Yukiko, Rise, and me forced her to change. She looked so cute in it!! At least we now know how she would have looked if she wore one during that beauty contest for the Culture Festival. Oh, and then when we were over at Rise's house, Rise made Naoto dress up in her clothes. She was really, really cute in them! Poor Kanji had a massive nosebleed! And then poor Rise! Naoto said that her clothes were really tight around…her bust area.

Yousuke's probably told you already, and yes, we are going out. No, I will not tell you how we got together in the first place. It's a little embarrassing. Besides, we don't ask about anything that goes on between you and Rise! Narumi Shirou, if you ever ask us how we got together, I'll make sure to hit you once you visit us or we visit you! It's such a thing call privacy!

Although, I've been having some doubts about our relationship. I mean, what if Yousuke is only dating me to forget Saki-senpai? I'll be really hurt if this is true. Hey, ask him that and report back to me. I could do it myself, but things are going pretty well right now. I don't want to jeopardize what we have right now.

Well, I'll be wrapping this up soon. Merry Christmas, Shirou! Promise you'll visit us soon!

Fantastically, Satonaka Chie

(-- --)

Dear Shirou,

How are you? All is well in Inaba. No one has been murdered lately. There has been nothing but silence and calm here. I'm sure your uncle has been having an easy time at work.

I've been a little bored since you left. Who else is supposed to be my assistant? Oh, speaking about investigations, we ran one recently on a love letter that Kanji received. It was a successful investigation. We managed to find out the original sender. It was too bad though. The letter wasn't really meant for Kanji. He looked pretty disappointed.

We've been having other investigations, too, but these aren't really ones to my enjoyment. The girls have been trying to find out how cute and feminine they can make me. Ugh… It's so embarrassing! During Nature School, they made me put on a bikini! Then they made me dress up in some of Yukiko's kimonos! Then they made me dress up in some of Rise's outfits from when she was still an idol! Shirou, please! Speak to them and tell them to stop! It's so embarrassing and it borders on sexual harassment!

I've been running a special investigation lately. You heard that Kuma is now attending Yasogami as a freshman, right? I've always wondered how he acts like during school so once in a while, I'll leave class and spy on him. He looks pretty normal during class. He takes notes and pays attention. Occasionally, Rise, Kanji, and I will drop in his classroom for lunch. He's almost always surrounded by girls. He behaves pretty normal as well, other than talking in the third person every once in a while. Other than the sparkles, that's probably the reason why girls like him. He's like a cute, little child. It's the equivalent to a little brother everyone wants.

So I hear that your girlfriend has been making attempts to cooking lately. She said she was tired of making people faint when they eat her food. I'm happy she's making an effort to change. She, Chie, and Yukiko caused me to faint during Nature School. Their soba noodles were so bad; I was throwing up all night and the next day. Rise's very enthusiastic, and she's trying really hard. Maybe _too_ hard. When she tried to attempt an apple pie with Nanako's instruction, she was reading the recipe so much that she overlooked the simplest terms. Let's just say that the pie was so salty it had to be thrown away. Then they moved onto cakes afterwards. (Ugh… Everyone were the guinea pigs. Yousuke even had paramedics standing by and everything.) Her first two cakes were inedible. She tried putting in some things that weren't in the recipe. It didn't turn out well. The third was edible, but she put in too much sugar. Her fourth was edible as well, and much better than she's done before.

Not much else is new other than two in our group are now dating. Rise's probably told you, but Chie and Yousuke are dating. No one really knows how it happened. The real story seems to be in bits and pieces. I would try to put it together, but I want to respect their privacy. They announced their relationship sometime in August, but they've obviously been together before then. Sometime around late March, early April, I was passing by the shoe locker when I saw them holding hands in that shy kind of way.

Merry Christmas, Shirou! Please visit soon!

Sincerely yours, Shirogane Naoto

(-- --)

Dear Sensei,

This is Kuma! I'm so very happy that Nanako-chan asked everyone to write you letters. I have learned that hand written letters bring more joy to the receiver than emails. Plus Kuma does not know how to properly work a computer or cell phone.

Yousuke bought me cell phone last November, but I was careless and left it in my pocket when the laundry was done. Yousuke was so angry he hasn't bought me new phone. It doesn't matter too much anyway. I didn't understand how to use the cell phone in the first place. I tried sending Sensei an email, but Kuma does not think it was able to get through. Did you get it? It might have been strange and a little cryptic, but Kuma was only experimenting with it. Poor cell phone… Its life was short lived. Kuma only had it for a week. But since I've been working at Junes, I'm saving up my money to buy myself a new cell phone!

Kuma also has been given a birthday! Kuma was sad that everyone is able to celebrate their birthdays, and Kuma wanted one as well. So, Chie and Yousuke gave me one! My birthday is on April 14, the same day Sensei, Yousuke, and Chie met me for the first time! For Kuma's first birthday, everyone threw a huge party! Naoto baked a cake. Chie and Yukiko made one as well, but the others hid/threw it away. Rise made her own attempt at a cake, and it was edible to say at the least. Sensei should be proud of her! The best part about the party was blowing out the candles! Yukiko said that if you make a wish before blowing out the candles, it will come true! Kuma wants to tell Sensei what he wished for, but Yukiko also said the wish won't come true if Kuma tells it. Kuma will give you a hint though. It has to do with you, Sensei!

Kuma started attending high school in April. Kuma is a freshman! Many people complain about school, but Kuma likes it! Everyone is very nice and the classes are easy! Before Kuma's first day of school, everyone gave Kuma advice on how to act around the other students. Kanji said to be tough. Yousuke said to be funny, but not too funny. Yukiko said to be nice and sweet. Kuma doesn't get it! Can Sensei explain what they are trying to say? What does Kuma accomplish by being tough? What about funny? What about nice and sweet? Kuma was able to make many friends just by being himself.

Many things have happened to us since Sensei left. I've been making trips to the TV world to protect the paradise in there. I go there on holidays and mostly after school. Sometimes the others come with me! I've been studying the paradise there. The weather there mirrors the weather in Inaba. So you should come back soon, Sensei! The paradise is covered in snow! Rise has been struggling to stay cheerful, especially when she's touring. It must because her most beloved person is so far away. Please visit her (and us) soon, Sensei! She does seem to cheer up a little whenever something involving you happens. And about Naoto, Kuma thinks Kanji likes her. He's been acting flustered around her for a while. I noticed he was making a scarf, and I know it is for Naoto. Kanji's mutters are really loud. Kanji has been keeping out of trouble as well. He's stopped hiding his sewing talents. He even made a doll of me, and he's selling it at the textile shop now! But it doesn't beat the Kuma doll I made for Nanako! Kanji's doll isn't made from 100% Kuma fur! But he's still touchy whenever Yousuke makes a joke about his sexuality. Yukiko went to her first omiai. She looked rather sad. Kuma thinks she will still go to future omiai. Although, she did say that before accepts to marry, everyone will have to give their consent to the man first. That includes you, too, Sensei! So please hurry back here!

Maybe the biggest thing to happen was Yousuke and Chie becoming a couple. Okay, maybe not that big. Everyone knew it would happen. They broke the news in August, but they've been a couple since March! Kuma knows! The earliest time was about March 14. Kuma overheard Yousuke's conversations with Chie on the phone. He always ended them with, "I'll talk to you later. I love you, Chie." Kuma has good hearing, and the walls are thin. Or maybe that is why Kuma has good hearing.

Kuma is happy Sensei will be receiving my letter in time for the holidays! Merry Christmas! Please visit us soon!

Yours truly, Kuma

(-- --)

Dear Shirou,

How are you? Are your parents in good health? No doubt they miss their only child. And no doubt, everyone in Inaba misses you. You're quite popular, aren't you? Nanako misses you very much, as well as that girlfriend of yours. Ever since Adachi was arrested, my work has been going pretty easy. The peace has given me more time to be with Nanako.

With so much free time on my hands, I've taken up fishing. I used to fish a great deal before Nanako's mother died. Now with more time for parenting, I also have more time for fishing at the Samegawa Floodplain. Nanako enjoys it a great deal as well. She says the best part about fishing is feeling that tug on the line, and I agree. You and your parents should come visit us in the summer. The last time I saw your father, it looked like he needed a long vacation. I'm sure working overseas must drained even more of his energy. Fishing would help him relax, and your mother could visit Inaba again.

My sister and I were born and raised here. The town has gotten a lot bigger since we were kids. Back then, we didn't have Junes and such. The town was smaller and everyone knew each other. Amazing what a decade could do. Jeez, I must sound like an old man, right? Even though your mother grew up here in Inaba, I think she felt suffocated by being in the countryside.

It's quiet here, and only gets busy when tourists come and go. I think she wanted to be in a place where there was more action. That's probably why she worked hard to get in Tokyo University. She was accepted and then poof! She was gone like a ghost and off to the city. After that, she just called occasionally and visited for birthdays and holidays. Then she met your father at the university and…well, you know the rest better than I do.

Since the accident, I've had to return to the hospital for frequent checkups. The doctor says I'm as good as new now. I'm not an old man! I have some kicks left in me!

Since Adachi was arrested, I've needed a new partner. I finally got one. The guy is nice, but I'm still a little suspicious. What if this guy is nice on the outside, but harbors some kind of dark secret on the inside? Maybe I'm being a little too paranoid. If I'm suspicious of my new partner, then I should be suspicious of all nice guys. I can never forgive Adachi. He made Nametame his pawn in his game. Adachi murdered two people, attempted to murder your friends and others, and then he hurt Nanako. That's unforgivable.

Oh, you know your friend, Satonaka Chie? She's been asking me for training on how to be a police officer. She's pretty mad now since my "training" for her is to do some errands like get coffee for me or do some filing. I've seen her fight before, and she's pretty good albeit her moves are a little messy. But I guess that's what you get if you learn how to fight from kun-fu movies. Her resolve is strong, so she'll probably make a good police officer. But, for now, I think I'll still have her do some errands. After all, that's what the force does to the rookies for a couple months or so!

Well, I'll be turning this in to Nanako now. Hopefully you'll visit us soon, Shirou. When does your Christmas break start? Say hello to my sister and my brother-in-law for me. Merry Christmas, Shirou.

Take care, Doujima Ryoutaro

(-- --)

Dear Onii-san,

So how do you like the letters? Did they make you smile? You're so far away now. I'm not the only one who misses you. I've thought a lot about what I wanted to get you for Christmas, and this is what I came up with. I know you send us emails and call us, but it feels a lot special if you get personal letters from all the people that really care about you.

How is school, Onii-san? I've started the second grade! It was really exciting, and I've been doing really well. I've been working hard at my studies like I should. I was scared of not being in the same class as some of my friends, but no worries! I was put in the same class as them! I also made new friends who were from other classes. Some of the older kids at school got to write letters to other kids in America. They were the ones that told me that personal, handwritten letters were a lot more special than email and such. That's how I got the idea to send you letters!

I've heard that Kuma is now attending Yasogami High School as a freshman. I wonder how that is going. Whenever I do see him, he looks very happy. And sparkling. He helps me a lot whenever Dad and me have to do grocery shopping. He works very hard at Junes, and Yousuke agrees.

Dad's been home a lot more lately. Since the murders have stopped, he's been leaving work early and spending time with me. I'm so happy! He's taken up his favorite hobby again – fishing! I go with him as well. It's a lot of fun! I love it when I feel a tug on the line. Once in a while, we'll keep some of the fish we caught and cook them for dinner. The house seems really empty without out you, Onii-san. I'm so used to cooking for three, and whenever I do cook for three, there are always leftovers that should be eaten by you.

I want to thank you for the birthday present you sent me, Onii-san. I really love it! I haven't seen that cookbook at all in Inaba. Many of the dishes are difficult for me, but I promise I'll master at least one by the time you come visit! But since I got it, I've had to hide it from your friends. Chie, Yukiko, and Rise like to come over a lot. One time, they found the cookbook and tried to cook something. I got so worried that something bad might happen. I was kind of happy when they burnt the dish and threw it away. Now I know to hide the cookbooks when they come over.

Also, please give your mother my thanks for her birthday gift. She got it when she was overseas, didn't she? The novel is completely in English, so it's a little difficult to enjoy. Whenever I try reading it, I have to use Dad's dictionary to look up every word. Don't worry! I think of it as good practice for learning English! Sometimes I have Dad read parts of the book to me. Even he struggles through it every now and then. Onii-san, how good is your English? I bet you're pretty fluent in it, huh? If you are, maybe you can read to me when you come visit!

Merry Christmas, Onii-san! I hope you can visit us soon! Everything just isn't the same without you. Bye bye!

Yours truly, Doujima Nanako

(-- --)

I rang the doorbell to the house, waiting for a response. My mom shivered, snuggling deeper into her jacket. I ran my fingers over the thick envelope in my pocket. I turned my head to see my dad getting the luggage out of our car. The door opened revealing a young man with rugged, good looks.

"Shirou! Onee-san!" he exclaimed at the sight of us.

I put my finger to my lips and shook my head. I reached into my pocket, withdrawing the bulky envelope. Its edges were tattered and worn. I had kept on rereading each letter and then stuffing them back in. I grinned and in a low voice I said, "I came in response to these. It's what all of you wanted, right?" My uncle broke into a smile and nodded.

"Ototo-san!" My mother cried, throwing her arms around her brother. My dad came over, dropping the suitcases on the ground.

"Welcome, everyone," my uncle replied.

"Is everyone else inside now?" I asked.

"Yes. Come in quietly now." We entered the small house I was familiar with. It was greatly unchanged, exactly the way I left it before. I could hear the animated chatter in the living room. I could pick out Kuma's voice, the roughness of Kanji's, Rise's playful banter, Yukiko's laugh, Chie's yells, Yousuke's groans, and the front of Naoto's masculine voice. Yes, everyone was here.

"Otou-san, who is it?" A familiar little girl appeared at the end of the hallway as my parents and I removed our shoes. She gasped at the sight of me. She went stiff, staring into my eyes. She was taller than I last saw her, but other than that, she was still the same.

"Nanako-chan, what's wrong?" asked Chie.

Nanako ran towards me and up into my arms. I lifted her up as if she was a toddler. Her small arms wrapped around my neck tightly. "You're getting really big, Nanako," I said quietly.

"Onii-san…"

I carried Nanako out of the hall and into the view of all my friends. I was greeted with their surprise and shock. Rise's eyes widened. She struggled to get out from under the kotatsu laid out in the middle of the room. She stumbled on her own feet and fell.

"Oh! Oh!" She cried. She scrambled up onto her feet and ran across the room, nearly tackling me in the process. I used one arm to support Nanako and the other to wrap around my girlfriend.

I grinned at the others and said, "I'm back."

They all returned my grin with their own. In unison, their lips moved to say the same words – words that have more special meaning than anything else.

"You're home."

* * *

Many, many notes to explain. So let's get cracking.

Finally, I now can revise this story after playing the actual game. I am at Nanako's dungeon on my second playthrough, but since I already went through the game once, I had enough to rewrite this story. Again, when inspired me to write this one shot is when I listened to the ending song, "Never More". I also read the English lyrics to it, and what inspired me the most to write this was one line in the lyrics.

_Kono mama densha noreba nidoto aenai ki ga shite._

That translates to, "If I get on the train now, I have the feeling I won't see you again." Though the ending was happy with the MC not dying and the creator of Mayonaka TV/Midnight Channel being killed, that one line turned it from being happy to rather bittersweet. I really didn't want the MC to forget about the friends he made and never see them again.

I was trying to have some things a mystery in here. For example, when the MC's friend is wondering about some of the girl friends that he made in Inaba, I never state their names. It is pretty easy though to figure out. I didn't even say that Rise was the MC's girlfriend until her letter. Though, it was pretty obvious. Of course anyone would say the MC is a liar if he said that a former pop idol was his girlfriend. The biggest mystery in here was how Yousuke and Chie ended up together. Well, those two aren't telling much, but their friends each have a side of the story to tell. So using those clues...How did they end up together? You get a cookie if you get it right.

And the reason why I chose Rise as the girlfriend was because I thought she showed the most affection for him outside of the commus.

Some of the ideas in the letters came from some P4 fanart I was looking at while writing. For example, when Kanji writes that he is making a scarf for Naoto, I saw a small comic strip on how Kanji gave her a scarf while the MC, Yousuke, and Chie looked on with jealousy. Another was when Naoto explains that Rise was dressing her up in her clothes. There was another fanart I saw where Rise dresses Naoto up in her clothes (and she looked really cute, btw) and shows her off to everyone. While Kanji suffers from a major nosebleed, Rise becomes shocked when Naoto says the clothes are tight around her bust.

By the way, a ryokan is a Japanese inn. I know Yukiko's family runs a famous hotel, but from the looks of it, it looks like a ryokan because of its traditional feel. You see Yukiko wearing a kimono, and in the opening movie, everything looks traditional, which is why I used ryokan instead of hotel. And in a ryokan, it is the Lady Boss who prepares the snacks and tea for the guests. An "omiai" is basically a party of sorts where a man and woman are introduced and consider the possibility of marriage. An omiai is very common for rich families who want to make political marriages and such.

You probably might already know this, but a kotatsu is Japanese table with a heater underneath. It is generally used during the winter. Also, "ototo-san" means little brother. Also, the "I'm back.", "You're home." part...Yeah, you should know where that is from. Yep, Kingdom Hearts II.

And several of the characters mention "paradise." This isn't in reference to Nanako's dungeon, but the true inner heart the cast sees after they defeat Izanami-no-Okami. I like to call it paradise because of its beauty.

Weeeeell, time to wrap this up. I'm so happy I was able to revise the story. There were tons of edits I had to make such as the paradise, Kuma's way of speaking (it was originally all in third person, but I changed it so that a few sentences were only in third person), Rise's idol status, etc… I honestly believe this version is better than my original, and I'm keeping the original story up so you can compare this version with the other. Thank you for reading!!


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